Single sheet shirt protector



Jufly W, 1951 v. AKERS 2,5603% SINGLE SHEET SHIRT PROTECTOR Filed Aug. 20, 1948 455 v VICTOR A/(ERS t l ATTORNEY Patented July 17, 1951 2,560,710 SINGLE SHEET SHIRT PROTECTOR Victor Akers, Albany, Calif. Application August 20, 1948, Serial No. 45,592

2 Claims.

The invention, in general, relates to the laun-' dry art, and more particularly relates to means for application to a laundered shirt-for protecting the same from any likelihood of becoming wrinkled, crushed or otherwise damaged in transit from the laundry to the home of the;

patron.

Heretofore, various types of shirt boards or forms have been devised for use in the preparation of a laundered shirt for packaging and transporting from the laundry to the patron in order to avoid as much wrinkling or crushing of the laundered shirt as possible in transit. In a majority of instances, separate shirt forms and collar supporting elements are utilized by the laundryman for these purposes although some of these prior protectors have included the collar supporting element as an integral part of the shirt form proper. In general, substantially all of these prior shirt protectors and collar supports are deficient at least in so far as properly supporting the laundered collar and numerous complaints and oftentimes loss of customers have resulted because of the badly wrinkled and even crushed condition of the shirt collar when re-- ceived by the patron. Some of the difiiculty encountered in the packaging and transporting of the laundered shirt heretofore is attributable to the lack of rigidity or strength afforded in the bundles containing a number of the laundered shirts arranged in superimposed relationship,

which is the usual mode of delivery of laun dered shirts. In addition to the foregoing disadvantages inherently residing or occurrin from the use of substantially all types of these prior shirt protectors, the employment of either type of such former devices; namely, either the two separate element protector including separate shirt form proper and separate collar supporting element or the integral unit of shirt form and collar element is appreciably costly to the laundryman not only because of the increased time involved in making the insertions of the protector into the laundered shirts but also because of the additional cost of manufacture of such prior devices. The present invention is directed to the provision of a unitary shirt protector form containing an integral collar supporting element which obviates all of the foregoing disadvantages of prior devices of this character. V

A primary object of the invention is to provide an improved shirt protector form which afiords means for holding or maintaining the body and collar of a laundered shirt in its freshly laundered state under all conditions of transit to the patron after leaving the laundry.

Another important object of my invention is to provide a shirt protector form of the indicated nature which is additionally characterized, by its capacity of affording the requisite rigidity and strength to packages of laundered shirts containing the shirts in superposed relationship to withstand appreciably heavy weights thereon :or other abuse and avoid all likelihood of wrinkling, crushing or otherwise deleteriously affecting the laundered shirts while in transit from the laundry to the patron.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide an improved shirt protector form of the aforementioned character which can be inserted in operative position into a laundered shirt more readily and rapidly even by the unskilled. r

Another object of my invention is to provide a shirt protector form of the indicated naturewhich combines the shirt form proper with the collar supporting element as an integral unit and which can be manufactured at amuch lower cost to the user.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide an improved shirt protector form of the aforementioned character which afiords the requisite protection to freshly laundered shirts without the necessity of using a shell or box for the shirt, heretofore commonly employed, thus eliminating extra handling as wall as preciable card-board stock.

Other objects of the invention, together with some of the advantageous features thereof, will appear from the following description of a pre ferred embodiment and a modified embodiment of my invention which are illustrated in the ac- It is to be understood: however, that I am not to be limited to the precompanying drawings.

cise embodiments shown, nor to the precise arrangement of the various elements thereof, as my invention, as defined in the appended claims,

can be embodied in a plurality and variety of forms. Referring to the drawings: 1

Fig. 1 is a perspective view,'partly in dash an partly in full line showing, of a preferred embodiment of the invention in operative positionin a laundered shirt.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view, partly in dash and partly in full lines, of a modified'embodiment of the invention in operative position in a' laundered shirt.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary, sectional detail of the I preferred embodiment of the invention is fitted beneath the collar of a laundered shirt, this view being taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary, sectional detail of the modified embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. 2, as fitted on the inside of the shirt collar of a laundered shirt adjacent to the neckband of the shirt, this view being taken on the line 44 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the preferred embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the preferred embodiment of the invention in slightly alternate form.

Fig. '7 is another plan view of the preferred embodiment of the invention in another alternate form.

Fig. 8 is a plan view of the modified embodiment of my invention which is illustrated in Fig. 2.

Fig. 9 is a plan view of the modified embodiment of the invention similar to the view of Fig. 8 but in slightly alternate form.

Fig.10 is a fragmentary'plan view of still-another alternation of the modifiedembodiment of the invention, which is illustrated in Figs. 2 and 8;

In its preferred form, the combined shirt protector form of my present invention preferably comprises a collar supporting element having transverse score lines therein to facilitate fitting the same about a shirt collar, a generally rectangular body portion; the end of said body portion adjacent to the collar supporting element-being straight at its center and being inclined on its lateral extremities to define tapered'openings between the body portion and the collar supporting element, together with a pair of :spaced score lines extending in parallel relationship between said collar supporting elementand said body portion to afford bending and folding of thecollar supporting element in one or the other of'two places with respect to said body portion-enabling the collar supporting element .to be folded and fitted in an upright position under either a low or a high collar of a-shirt.

The modified embodiment of my present inventionpreferably comprises a collar supporting element similar to that of the preferred embodiment but containing a window therein, a body portion'similar to that of the preferred embodimentytogether with a reduced portion joining the collar supporting element to the body portion, ascore line at the juncture of the reduced portionand the body portion, and a pair of score lines in spaced parallel relationship between the collarsupporting element andthe reduced portion to enable folding of the collar supporting element on the outside and over the top of the back-of a shirt collar and fitting the same on theinside and about the shirt collar adjacent to theneck-band of the shirt; said collar supporting elementbeingnotched adjacent to its juncture with the reduced portion to enhance the folding of the collar supporting element toward the reduced portion and to increase its supporting character.

-As-iparticularly illustrated in-Figs. 1 and 5 of the annexed drawings, the preferred embodiment of my present invention is exemplified in ablank, designated generallyby the reference numeral II, which is generally rectangular in shape and-which preferably is fabricated of cardboard. The blank II is cut away adjacent to one longitudinal extremity thereof on straight 4 lines 12 and I3 as well as on oblique or bias lines [4 and It to remove or cut away small, generally triangular portions of the blank and thus to define a collar supporting element H as well as a body portion IS. The body portion 18 is thus provided with a straight end I9, a pair of straight, substantially parallel sides 2| and 22, and an irregular opposite end consisting of a pair of oblique portions [4 and I6 on opposite sides of a straight central portion. Moreover, the collar supporting element thus provided by cutting blank II as indicated is an elongated rectangle relatively narrow in width and to enable effective bending and fitting of the collar supporting elements in operative position about a shirt collar, a plurality of spaced score lines 20 are formed transverselyof the collar supporting element, as clearly shown in Fig. 5.

-In accordance with the present invention, the blank I I, which constitutes the base from which the collar supportingelement l1 and body'portion 'l8 of my shirt protector form is-made, is initially cutto a requisite width to afford a relatively long collarsupporting element I1 whereby, when disposed about and beneath the collar 26 of a launderedgshirt 27, see Fig. l, the opposite ends 28 and 29 of the collar supportin element lie in close proximity to the lapels 30 of the laundered shirt collar. The result is that substantially all of the launderedcollar is supported in raised position with respect to the balance of the laundered shirt yet without deleteriously affecting the laundered collar'lapels 30'which lie flat to-the body of the shirt. In view of this requisite width of the blank H to afford the desirable length of collar supporting element 11, asvabove'indicated, and in view-of the preferred rectangular shape of the shirt protector form, the bod-yportion [8 of theformis cutsomewhat wider than the normal widthof a normally folded laundered shirt. Accordingly, longitudinally extending score lines :are preferably formed in-body portion l8 of the :protector form in substantially parallel arranged pairs 3|,.32 and 33, 35 at opposite sides of the blank ll to'define' flaps 35 at each side of the body portion. Upon insertion of -my improved shirt protector form into a freshly laundered shirt, the bodyportion I8 is laid against the back of the laundered shirt and the collar supporting element folded oneither the score line 26 or 31-formed in the blank II, depending upon the height of the attached collar on the laundered shirt, which extend in spaced, substantially parallel relationship between vthe collar supportingelement and the bodyportion of the blankand thus the collar supporting element l'lis partially raised for insertion beneath --or under the folded collar 26 of the shirt and ultimately raised-to aposition normal to the body portion l8 to support the collar 26 in raised position with respect to the balance of'the'shirt. At thesame time, of course, the-operator bends or curves the elongated collar supporting element on the score lines 20 to position such element-about the collar bringing the ends 28 and 29 thereof in close proximity to the lapels 3B of the collar 26. Thereafter, the laundered shirt isfolded'in the customary mannenand the flaps 35 ofthe body portion l8 folded under, first by folding on the score lines 32, 33 and then'on score lines 3|, 34 to bring the fiaps35 to the position indicated in'Fig. l of the'annexed drawings. 'This whole operation of inserting the improved, preferredembodiment of my shirt pro- & tector' form in operativeposition in" a laundered shirt is a matter of twoor three seconds. If

theattached collar to alaun'dered shirt is'a high forated score line 36 to compensate for the dif-" feren-t height ,ofcollar. It is to be remarked that I preferably form the transverse scorings of the collar supporting elementIl with embossed scorga and thetwo parallel score lines 36, and 3i with perforated scorings. The longitudinally, extending scorelines in the body portion I8 may be either perforated orembossed, as desired.

In Fig. 6 of the annexed drawings, I have;illus'-. trated an alternate form of the preferrediem bodiment cfxthe present invention. This form is substantially the same as" the embodiment depicted. inFig. 5 with the exception thatit is made for application to only one size or height of collar attached to a laundered shirt since only one score line 36 is provided at the juncture of the collar supporting element I! and the body portion I8 of the shirt protector form. Moreover, the body portion can be narrower than the body portion of the embodiment of Fig. 5 altho it preferably is of the same width in order that the col lar supporting element I"! be of requisite length properly to support the major portion of the collar 26 of the laundered shirt. A slightly different alternation of the preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in Fig. 7 in that except for the inclusion of two notches 40 and 40 in the collar supporting element II adjacent to its juncture with the body portion I8 it is similar to the embodiment of Fig. 5. The provision of the notches 40 and 4f) facilitates folding of the collar supporting element toward the body portion when inserting the protector form into a laundered shirt having an attached collar 26 of greater height than average, and enhances the supporting quality of the element I8 with respect to shirts having such higher collars.

A modified embodiment of the present invention is illustrated in perspective in Fig. 2 of the drawings and in plan view in Fig. 8. This modification is generally similar to the preferred embodiment of the invention but is devised for insertion in a laundered shirt with the collar supporting element thereof disposed inside of the attached collar of the shirt adjacent to the neckband thereof. To this end, I provide a generally rectangular shape blank I II which preferably is so stamped or cut on straight lines I I2 and I I3 as well as on bias or oblique lines IE3 and I I6 to define the collar supporting element III and a body portion H8, together with a reduced portion H8 connecting the collar supporting element and the body portion, as shown. The body portion I I8, thus provided, has a straight end I IS, a pair of straight sides I20 and I2I and an irregular opposite end having two oblique portions I I4 and I I6 and an intermediate straight central portion. The collar supporting element III, formed by stamping or cutting the blank III as above indicated, is an elongated, rectangular shape and preferably is notched, as at Hill and I46 on op-, posite sides of the reduced portion I I8 of the shirt protector form. In addition, the elongate collar supporting element is formed with an e1ongated window or opening I25 therein in order that the customary laundry mark delineatedon the neckband of the laundered shirt may readily be discernible.

As in the case of the preferred embodimentof the invention, the collar support-' ing element preferably is formed with a plurality of spaced scorings therein, conveniently'by means of embossed score lines, to facilitate bending or folding the element about the inside of the neckband of a laundered shirt. I

The body portion of the modified embodimentof the invention is in all respects similar to'the body portion of the preferred embodiment shown in Fig. 5-inthat itis formed with a series'of longitudinally extending score lines, either em bossed orperforated as desired, arranged in substantially parallel pairs adjacent the sides of the blank, defining the "score lines I3I, I32 and I33, and I34 and thereby aifording flaps I 35 at each side of such body-portion. These flaps, while not shown in Fig.2 of the annexed drawings, are

folded underthe folded laundered shirt, at the back thereof, in the samemanner as theflaps' 35 of the preferred embodiment when applying this modification to a laundered shirt.

In accordance w'iththe present invention, the modification of Fig. 8 is preferably formed with a perforated score line I36 at the juncture of the collar supporting element and the reduced portion H8 of the form, a second perforated score line I36 in close proximity but spaced from the score line I36 and extending in substantially parallel relationship thereto, as well as a third score line I3? at the juncture of the reduced portion III? with the body portion II8 of the form. The space defined between the two closely adjacent score lines I35 and I36 serves the useful function of permitting the ready folding of the collar supporting element III from the outside of the back of a shirt collar I26 of a laundered shirt I 21 across the top and into the inside of the shirt collar, see Figs. 2 and 4 of the drawings, when the modified embodiment of Fig. 8 is inserted, into operative position with the col lar supporting element disposed normal to the body portion H3 and around the inside of the collar I26 adjacent to the neck-band of the shirt, all as indicated in Fig. 2. It is to be observed that the blank III is made to the requisite width so laundered shirt I21, thus furnishing optimum support for the shirt collar. The notches I40 and I40 in the collar supporting element I I1 enhances and facilitates the folding of the collar supporting element and the supporting quality thereof, for shirt collars somewhat higher than average.

In Fig. 9 of the annexed drawings, I have illustrated an alternate form of the modification of Fig. 8 which largely follows such modification but is devised for application to an average height shirt collar, thus eliminating the necessity of the notches in the elongated collar supporting element. merals have been utilized to indicate the corresponding parts of the alternation of Fig. 9 to the Corresponding reference nu or. support to the attached shirt collaritonbviate anypossibility of crushing thereon despitethe loadof any given bundleof laundered shirts.

It isito be understood that the appended claims are to be accorded a'range of equivalents commensurate in scope with the advance made over the prior art I claim:

1. A single sheet shirt protector comprising a blank consisting of a relatively large portion for insertion between the folds of a laundered shirt, a reduced extension on one end of said large portion, and an elongated portion on said reduced extension, all of said elements normally lying in a single plane; said blank being scored with a first score line at the juncture of said large portion and said reduced extension, a second score line at the juncture of said reduced extension and said elongated portion, and a third score line in said reduced extension adjacent to but spaced from said second score line, said score lines afiording folding of said blank up and over 8 v the back of-a collar to bringsaid elongated-portion within the neckband of a collar-of alaum dered shirt with saidelongated portiondisposed normal to said large portion.

2. A single sheet shirt protector comprisingablank-as defined in claim 1, saidelongatedyportion having an elongatedslot'therein to permitobservation ofa laundry mark.

VICTOR AKERS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record inthe file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

